Welcome to Our Family
by ljkeek
Summary: What might have happened between season 8 season finale and season 9 premier? Frank seemed to react strangely to the news that Jamie and Eddie were engaged. Here is how Frank might have responded after he had a few days to think about it.


_I know a lot of people were upset with how Frank Reagan reacted to the news that Jamie and Eddie were engaged. I personally thought it was very authentic. If my child was nearly killed and then a few days later walked in and announced he was marrying his good friend, I'm sure I'd be a bit hesitant myself. There had also been a lot of things going on between Jamie and Frank complicating things. I always figured something like this might have gone down after the dust settled. One thing I like about these characters are the flaws we see in their behaviors. This is something I imagine happening in that gray area between seasons 8 and 9._

_In my stories, Linda is always still alive because I can't stand that she died. But, I imagine in the canon storyline, losing her would also have made Frank's reaction to the engagement complicated also._

Frank continued down the hallway alone to his destination, his detail remaining near the elevator doors. He was grateful for the privacy it provided both him and the current occupant of the apartment as he knocked on the door. He was not expected, so after he knocked he stepped back making sure whoever looked through the peephole would see him clearly. Frank had checked the schedule for the 1-2 carefully before choosing this day and time to show up.

Eddie was enjoying her day off. The tea water was on the stove, a guilty pleasure chick flick on the TV and just a few short hours until Jamie got home from his day shift. She had just begun gradually transitioning all of her belongings from her apartment to Jamie's. There were about 3 months left on her lease but her landlord had told her she could sublet to the next tenant if they were interested. She and Jamie had already decided that most of her furniture would go in storage along with her kitchen supplies. This only left her clothes and personal mementos to bring with her. To avoid chaos for her very neat fiance, she decided that she would get each load of things put away completely before going back for more. She expected that it would keep her busy for a couple hours returning Jamie's organized home to normal with a few new feminine touches. Last night's load was the first that truly solidified she was moving in. It was more than the few personal possessions leaving her mark as his girlfriend that had trickled in over the past two weeks. For his part, Jamie had been more than willing to move his punching bag and a few items to the downstairs storage cage in his building to make room. Eddie was excited about making this their home.

She was surprised to hear a firm knocking on the door just after 9am. Quickly scanning the pajama top and shorts she had on, she decided it was ok to quickly answer the door. Barefoot, she rose up on her toes to see who it was. Her heart sank when she saw that the person on the other side was her boss and apparently reluctant new father in law. She deeply regretted not changing into something else but Frank had clearly heard her movement on the other side of the door, so she had no other choice but to open it.

"_Good Morning Commish...I mean Frank,"_ she said hesitantly. What were the rules when he was clearly on duty? "_Jamie's not here - he's working."_ The last word trailed off as suddenly the realization of why he was most likely there hit her like a ton of bricks. "_Oh my God - Jamie!" _ Eddie went instantly pale.

"_Oh no Eddie - its nothing like that" _Frank quickly assured her. He silently cursed himself for not anticipating this reaction when he planned his visit. He thought catching her alone in her comfort zone was the way to approach this delicate matter. He couldn't believe he didn't consider that she would think it was a family injury notification. "_I came to see __you__."_

That last statement did nothing to make her feel any better, but at least Jamie was OK. She let whatever relief she could gather up wash over her. Her fear for Jamie's safety was quickly replaced with apprehension.

After a few awkward moments_, "Can I come in?"_ Frank asked slightly amused.

As she stood in the doorway looking about Nikki's age in her off duty comfort clothes, he could already see why she had his son so enchanted. She was clearly deeply in love with Jamie. That had been obvious to him over the past few weeks. She was warm, funny and put Jamie's happiness and comfort above all else in every situation he had witnessed since the incident where she saved his life. Yet, like his wife Mary, she stood up to Jamie when needed. She didn't appear to have any problem setting him straight when he needed it. Her most endearing quality though was the shy vulnerability that flared up when she wasn't on her guard. On duty, Frank had both seen and heard that she was an exceptional officer. She was assertive, tough and quick thinking but she was also willing to de-escalate situations when needed. She spoke her mind and stood up to her fellow officers and even superiors if needed. She was a fine example, especially for young female officers. He had always felt that his officers needed to use the skill sets that made them unique whether it be gender, age or cultural heritage. A diverse police force was better equipped to serve a diverse population. It was critical to find a way to identify with the members of the community. He had made sure that the brass knew he encouraged them to develop and capitalize on the differences in the men and women under his command. But at home, Eddie was something else entirely. She seemed to be almost fragile at times. Frank realized that this part of her was something that not everyone got a chance to see. She seemed shy and insecure as they stared at each other over the threshold of Jamie's apartment.

"_Oh God! Yes, please come in"_ she faltered, stepping aside to let him enter the apartment. Realizing she had piles of clothing, including her underwear, on the couch as she organized and put things away, she sped ahead of him awkwardly. Quickly she spread a blanket over them much to Frank's amusement. Trying about 10 different buttons on the remote before she was finally able to turn of the television, she nearly tripped over the coffee table. Adding to the chaos, the tea kettle began whistling at that precise moment. "_Would you like a cup of tea?"_ she asked trying to regain some sort of composure.

"_That would be lovely, thank you."_

"_Honey and cream?" _she asked, assuming he took his tea the way Jamie did.

"_Yes, please" _

Frank was especially touched by this. Such a small thing but he could almost hear Mary whispering to him, "_She knows our Jamie."_

Frank sat down at the small dining table outside the kitchen area, careful to avoid looking at the personal items she was embarrassed to have spread across the small living room. He waited while she prepared their tea.

Eddie prepared a whole pot of tea with cream and honey. She was pretty sure she would need more than just a cup if she was going to have brunch with the police commissioner in her pajamas at almost 10 o'clock in the morning.

"_You're probably wondering why I stopped by to see you,"_ Frank prompted her. He paused to gauge her reaction for a moment.

"I figured you wanted to talk to me alone - without Jamie" she replied slowly but with an admirable amount of conviction for someone so obviously nervous. "I know you must have reservations about Jamie and I after how quickly things are moving along…"

"Oh damn it. Danny was right." Frank cut her off.

Eddie stopped speaking. She was completely confused by his response.

This time it was Frank's turn to awkwardly smile at her. "_I have been told by __every_ _adult in the family that I have not been particularly welcoming to you and that I owe you an apology. I think I should also give you an explanation."_

"_Sir, I mean Frank..,"_ she stammered. Inwardly she cringed at the idea of listening to the justification for his lack of acceptance. She had definitely felt that while he was glad Jamie had found someone to love, he wished it was not his partner - not her. She knew the speed with which they had moved things along was bound to be problematic for any parent. She had also wondered if her own father being in jail further complicated things for Frank. She couldn't blame him for that one. All in all, she had come to accept that while Jamie's father thought she was a nice enough person and held nothing against her personally, she was not the life partner he had in mind for his son.

"_Let me finish Eddie. I realize that I may have come across very un-enthusiastic about your engagement to Jamie. My family tells me I looked upset by the news. The impression I gave was accurate but not for any of the reasons you are probably thinking. I am absolutely thrilled that you and Jamie are getting married. I am happy for both of you and most happy for our family to which you will be a wonderful addition."_ Frank smiled warmly at her and gave her a few moments to let that sink in before he continued.

"_God willing someday you and Jamie will be parents. When you have your own children I think you will best understand this. I was sad for two reasons. First of all, after losing Jamie's mother and brother, good news is hard to take." Frank sadly smiled and continued. "Every time someone graduates, announces an engagement or some other wonderful milestone I am reminded that they're not here to share it with us. Jamie was especially close to both Joe and Mary. They would have been the most overjoyed of all of us when you shared your news. Honestly, I think if Joe was alive it wouldn't have taken Jamie nearly so long to come to his senses" _Frank lightly laughed imagining his gregarious son who was not that unlike Eddie in personality. "_As our family grows, it seems I miss Mary even more in the special moments. She deserves to be here with us sharing in your joy. The first thing I thought of when Jamie introduced you as his fiance was that Mary was missing the moment she waited for all her life. It broke my heart a little - I'm not going to lie. But please don't confuse that with being sad about your engagement."_

"_Thank you so much. That really means a lot. Honestly, I never thought you were disappointed about us getting engaged." _Eddie rationalized that a small white lie was called for. "_I just thought maybe you needed some time to realize it wasn't a rash decision. You have been very welcoming to me over the past couple weeks." _

After a short break in conversation she asked_, "But you said there were two things that were bothering you?" _Eddie had always been the type to just rip the bandaid off - she figured if she can handle sitting at a table with the her boss with bed-head and pajamas on, she could handle whatever came next.

"_The second reason I felt upset was about Jamie. ...And it's also why I chose to come when I knew you would be alone..."_ Frank replied pausing frequently to gather his thoughts and figure out how to approach this with her.

"_In the past," he continued, "I would have already known Jamie's plans for you two. I would have been the first call, or at least I think I would have been. With the sergeant's exam coming up and my attempts to push Jamie out of his comfort zone professionally, I may have hurt our relationship. Maybe I should have left well enough alone. But I'm not going to lie, it bothers me that my Harvard educated son is not putting that knowledge and experience to good use. Not necessarily as a lawyer, but in some capacity within the department. I don't think I'm wrong that he was staying in what was comfortable and not living up to his potential. I just have to realize he is a grown man and that's not my place to decide." Frank shook his head. "I may have driven him away with my insistence."_

"_Actually I probably have you to thank for all this then." _ She gestured to Jamie's apartment then Eddie smiled warmly at him with a chuckle. "_While we __were_ _completely honest with everyone that we were never involved romantically until after the shooting incident. That's not to say that Jamie and I hadn't discussed moving on from our work partnership and what that might mean for us. I am signed up for the sergeant's exam." _She paused and made it a point to look him right in the eyes, speaking firmly, "_Jamie __does_ _listen to what you say as his father, even when he doesn't quite want to hear it. I think your advice just may have been part of the reason he was preparing to make a change between us before all that happened. The shooting just moved up the timeline a little and helped us make that final leap."_

"_Thank you for that."_

As Frank sipped his tea, he realized that this visit was taking much longer than the 15 minute stop that he and Abigail had originally planned for in his schedule. However as he sat back and took another long sip of tea, that fact didn't bother him in the least. Family first.

With a conspiratorial wink he said, "_Now you do realize that Danny can NEVER know he was right about this. When Daniel Reagan comes and tells you that you need to apologize for your behavior, it's a bit like Dan Cooper telling you that you really should return all that money to the bank. You know you've really crossed the line"_ Frank laughed with his future daughter-in-law.

"_Your secret is safe with me."_

"_I really have to get to 1PP for a meeting but before I leave, I have something to give you." _Frank could feel his voice catching as he reached into his front breast pocket for the small square box. "I seem to remember that every bride needs something old to carry with her on her wedding day."

Eddie slowly took the small square jewelry box in her hands. Since she and Jamie were having the stone from his mother's ring reset for her, it wouldn't be ready for a couple of weeks. This was the first time she had received something like this that was part of Jamie's family. She could feel her heart pounding. As she tilted up the lid on the black velvet box, she noticed something was inside hidden underneath a handkerchief.

"There is a story I need to share before you remove the handkerchief. Mary was a very sentimental person. When each child was born, she brought a new white handkerchief with her to the hospital when she delivered. She held the cloth throughout her labor and finally wiped her new child's first tears with it afterwards. She always meant to give them to each child as a memento of how much they have been loved and cared for from their very first minute of life. That handkerchief came home from the hospital with Jamie." Frank could tell she understand the personal significance by the way she carefully touched the lace trimmed fabric. "Underneath is something else that was special to her. Go ahead and open it up..."

As Frank waited for Eddie to collect herself and brush a stray tear from her eye and slowly lift the handkerchief, he could feel a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He had prayed for Mary to guide him through repairing the damage he had done with his son and soon to be daughter in law. She had done a great job. Eddie peeled back the fabric to reveal what it had been covering. In the velvet box was her beautiful London blue topaz bracelet. It was set in white gold with six small stones in a row.

"_When Jamie was born, I gave this to Mary. It signified that our family was finally complete. I wanted her to know that no matter how much the job seemed to take over our lives sometimes, she and the kids were my real reason for getting up each day. You are part of that family now and I know Mary would have wanted you to wear this next."_

Eddie slowly clasped the bracelet on her wrist and admired it. She was crying a bit as she rose from the table. Frank stood up and she walked over to him and hugged him. Despite her shorter stature, he felt a warmth and barely noticeable pressure on the top of his shoulders. He chose to believe it was the hands of his wife and son approving of what he had done.

After she broke the embrace he picked up his coat. "_So, I'll see you at dinner on Sunday?"_ Frank responded as a closing. "_Welcome to our family, Eddie."_


End file.
